Drinking water is a commodity that can no longer be taken for granted. Rain water typically provided the purest drinking water; however, pure water has the ability to dissolve most substances. Polluted air further results in aggressive water capable of dissolving more minerals, thereby leading to a hydrologic cycle that continues to produce excessively polluted water. As rain water falls it will pick up impurities including gases which may further increase its ability to dissolve other substances. As the water reaches the ground partly dissolves anything that it touches including rock providing the following constituents: gypsum-calcium sulfate, limestone-calcium carbonate, fluorspar-calcium fluoride, magnetite-iron or iron sulfide, magnetite-magnesium carbonate, and so forth. This water is collected and distributed as tap water to the masses for daily use including drinking purposes.
Health conscious consumers no longer trust tap water and seek treated water for purposes of consumption. The most recognized treated water container is the 5-gallon water bottle delivered to a home or office. Water bottles are used in combination with a water cooler mechanism providing chilled or heated water on demand. The water cooler positions the water container in an inverted position allowing water displacement by gravity.
According to data collected by the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), the number of gallons of water flowing through water coolers doubled from two hundred seventy million in 1985 to more than four hundred sixty million in 1991 with estimates close to six hundred million by the year 1995. Part of the increase is no doubt due to the consumers concern about the safety of drinking tap water.
A problem with bottled water is that, even though the water may be more healthy than tap water, many water coolers harbor unhealthy, high levels of bacteria that can cause nausea and diarrhea. In the early 1990's researchers from Boston's Northeastern University checked the bacterial content of water from ten randomly selected water coolers and found in each case a bacteria level that reached at least two thousand potentially harmful organisms for every thousandth of a liter of water. In some water coolers, particularly those used frequently, counts exceeded one million harmful organisms. The researchers found little or no bacteria as a result of water delivery. It was uncovered that the organisms from each new bottle of water adhere to the cooler's reservoir or the well in which the bottle sits.
A number of devices are directed to address this problem. These devices are mainly directed to the use of sealed bottled water systems having filtered air input. The prior art devices do not address the hundreds of thousands of water coolers currently in the marketplace.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,083 discloses an improved water bottle cap and valve assembly which allows for the installation and removal of partially filled water bottles. The device provides for a sealable cap that is opened and closed upon placement into the water cooler well. The sealable cap is complex making it expensive to manufacture and requiring an associated valve member within the water cooler.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,059 discloses a bottled water system for use with water coolers. A piercing valve engages the top of a water bottle with a biasing valve in a closed position until piercing is accomplished. An external valve mechanism allows for insertion of treated air to prevent airborne bacteria from entering the water storage area. This invention is unique in that it addresses the need for air filtration but requires an expensive mechanism that requires a complex alteration or replacement of water coolers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,700 sets forth a water cooler having a removable reservoir for ease of cleaning purpose. This teaching is most beneficial as it enhances a water cooler by providing access to the primary breeding ground for bacteria. However, this invention does not address existing water coolers and further utilizes a refrigeration system of limited coils making it difficult to efficiently cool a large quantity of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,619 discloses yet another water cooler directed to elimination of bacteria by injecting ozone into the water reservoir. Ozone, being a highly volatile oxygen derivative, requires precise control as a minute amount of ozone will be ineffective and over ozonization can be harmful upon ingestion.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is an inexpensive filtration device capable of treating existing water cooler devices for lessening the opportunity for bacteria growth within the storage container.